A new publication by Dr. Logan Cochrane, associate professor at the College of Public Policy (CPP), titled Safety Nets as a Means of Tackling Chronic Food Insecurity in Rural Southern Ethiopia: What is Constraining Programme Contributions? has been published as an Open Access article in the Canadian Journal of Development Studies, with funding from Qatar National Library.

This study focuses primarily on the modality of the food and/or cash in exchange for labor program. With agriculture the predominant livelihood in rural Ethiopia, where chronic food insecurity is prevalent, the country launched the Productive Safety Net Program in 2005, aiming to improve rural livelihoods and food security. 

Dr. Logan and his co-author, Melisew Dejene, Hawassa University, Ethiopia, analyze how the supports have contributed to the stated objectives, assessing food security status using two measurement tools (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and the Coping Strategies Index). Their finding is that the program has not reached its potential due to unpredictable and delayed payments, exposing households to unconventional debt arrangements, often exacerbating vulnerability.

Dr. Logan’s full article can be accessed here.